MIG welding sills/arches late 90s Nissan?

[Alec]

I'm completely new to welding and this forum so hello all:-)

Currently refurbishing a late 90s Nissan 200sx. I've uncovered some holes that I think need patching on the sills. I've done a little research and MIG welding with an argon/co2 mix seems to produce decent results. I'd like some advice on what kit I need.
I've seen the Clarke 150TE (Turbo) MIG Welder on sale at Machine Mart for £250. It comes "ready to use" with a tiny disposable cylinder which I guess I would need to replace very quickly with something a bit more manly. What would I need along the lines of gas and flow rate/pressure regulator? I gather I'd best replace the hand held mask too - what would people suggest?
Anything else I need and what are the best suppliers?
Thanks for any pointers:-)

 

[tflnemesis]

For the mask, pretty much everyone on here would tell you to get an auto darkening one, cheaps ones can be had for around the £30 mark if you haven't got a lot of welding to do. As with anything else though you pay for what you get and a more expensive one would be needed if you plan on doing a lot of welding. Also a pair of welding gloves are a must have too, only a few quid and will save you from picking up a burn or 5

Gas, for hobby welding CO2 pub type bottles are cheap to run and last a hell of a lot longer than the disposable bottles. The Argoshield type give a nicer weld so less dressing needed on panels and etc but are usually 3-4 times more expensive than CO2.

Checkout the Weldequip link at the top of the page, he has a good range of supplies and safety equipment.

 

[Alec]

The reason I thought of going with argon/co2 mix is that the majority of the welds will need to be done up close with some of them nearly upside down. I have the car on axle stands on top of six inch blocks of wood and I can't really get it any higher. I've read that that the argon/co2 mix produced a neater weld with less splatter and it was slightly easier. Would people agree with this?
What mix should I look at 5% 20% etc?
Obviously I'd need a regulator and possibly a flow regulator. If I get the latter, what range should I get if I'm going to be welding ~1mm mild steel?

 

[cumbriasteve]

The normal flow for all MIg welding is 10 lpm, and for thin material 5% co2 is best, argon /co2 is nicer but also co2 pub bottles work and plenty of people using them to great effect.

Depends if you can find a local independant gas supplier, then argon co2 becomes reasonable to hire and fill, mine is £35 a year rental for a large bottle with £31 refill charge, for occasional car repairs a smaller bottle would last ages and be cheaper.

Depending on the difference in price which is obviously a major factor, I would consider browsing the weldequipe shop, its all about future backup and service.

Machine Mart also have regular VAT free days, that can make a big difference pricewise.

My auto darkening mask was from Ebay for £25 and it's spot on, although saying that I am not a full time welder or I would have bought something more professional.